When Karma Gets Your Phone Number

I hop on a register to help get the line down. I go to the second customer on the nearest line.

Me: “Hi, I can take you at the next register.”

A woman comes from the back of the line and goes right to my register.

Woman: “Hello? Can you come do your job? I have places to be!”

I turn to the customer I approached.

Me: “I’m so sorry. We can—”

Customer: “You can go. I’ll go after her.”

I go back to the register and see that she hasn’t unloaded any of her things.

Me: “Do you have a membership?”

Woman: *Rolls her eyes* “Yes.”

Me: “Do you have the card, or can I enter your number?”

She says her phone number, each digit quieter than the last.

Me: “I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear that. Could you—”

Woman: *Screams her phone number* “BETTER?!”

Me: *Smiling* “Much better. Thank you. Please put your items on the belt.”

She huffs but empties her cart.

Woman: “They only let r****ds work here, huh?”

Customer: “You should apply, then.”

I nearly drop the glass jar I just scanned. The woman looks from me to the man behind her.

Woman: “Are you f****** kidding? He can’t talk to me like that!”

Me: “Your total is [hundreds of dollars].”

Woman: *Tosses several $100 bills at me* “I’m sure you’re used to much smaller bills being thrown your way.”

I start checking the bills against the light and with the counterfeit pen.

Woman: “Are you kidding?! Do I look like some broke b**** making fake money?”

I still haven’t said a word. I give her the change, and she storms off. I turn to the next customer.

Me: “I apologize about that.”

Customer: “No problem. I got her on video. I’m going to see if her employer knows what a b**** she is.”

Since she screamed her phone number, it wasn’t hard to find her. It turns out she was an elementary school teacher! She was put on leave until the end of the school year and was not invited to renew her employment contract the next year.